Skincare business doubles in size to help attract multinational companies
A York-based skincare testing company is doubling its lab space from 1,457 sq ft to 2,943 sq ft to meet demand.
Labskin UK has embarked on a large expansion plan, which will see it launch a dedicated research and training lab, designed to attract multinational cosmetic and healthcare companies to the region.
The business, located at the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus (NAFIC), creates artificial human-like skin that can be used to test skincare and healthcare products in a real-world environment.
Its expansion includes a complete new fit out of two laboratories, as well as alterations and improvements to a further three laboratories.
This will enable Labskin to increase the amount of sample testing that can be done on site. The new research and training lab will see Labskin collaborating with universities, including the University of Bradford, where the two will work together to improve Labskin’s artificial skin model.
The company will be able to teach in-house researchers from multinational skincare companies how to use its products with best practice in mind.
And it will be creating more opportunities for jobs. The firm is currently recruiting a new laboratory technician to support the team of eight based at York, with a further three research and technical positions likely in the next 12 to 18 months.
Alex Chapman, Head of Operations at Labskin, said: “It is an extremely exciting time for us. We’ve got the perfect base, and now space, here at NAFIC to collaborate with universities in the area to utilise and combine knowledge to make world-first scientific developments.
“Demand has been steadily increasing, so it was essential that we invested in our facilities to extend our capacity to improve our service to clients and increase efficiency of testing.”
Liz Cashon, Innovation Campus Manager at NAFIC, added: “Labskin’s expansion shines a spotlight on the strength of Yorkshire’s bioscience sector.
“It is cutting edge research from companies such as Labskin that is attracting national and international interest and their expansion and investment into innovation and training facilities will continue to drive interest in the area, as well as create, and maintain, fantastic jobs in the region.
“We understand that SMEs have a variety of needs, including access to funding and being given the opportunity for long-term growth.
“We have supported Labskin over the last few years, giving the team the flexibility they needed to help the business grow and it’s encouraging that this has paid off – exactly what we hope to see with all our SMEs on site.”
